Wrench



J. B. SMITH. WRENCH.

(No Mbdel.)

No. 473,026. Patented Apr. 19, 1892.

a mum rqzns U ITED STATES} PATENT Omen.

JAMES B. SMITH, OF FALLS CITY, NEBRASKA.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,026, dated April 19, 1892.

Application filed July 24, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Falls City, in the county of Richardson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in renches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in wheel-nut wrenches; and it consists in the construction, novel combination, and adaptation of the parts hereinafter described and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench in an operative position upon a wheel. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wrench removed. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a modified construction of spoke-engaging hook and lever-arm. Fig. 4 is a similar view of another modified construction of spoke-en gaging hook and lever-arm, and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of modified lever-arms.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A indicates the lever-arms of my improved Wrench, which have their inner connected ends enlarged, so as to insure a firm engagement of the nut or burr to be removed. These arms A may be constructed entirely of wood or metal; but I prefer in practice to form the inner or engaging ends of iron or other suitable metal and the outer portion ot' hickory or other suitable wood. Pivo'tally connected to the sides of both of the lever-arms adjacent the inner ends thereof, or pivotally connected to one arm and fixedly connected to the other, are connecting-plates or link-straps B, which are preferably provided with auxiliary bolt holes, as illustrated, whereby the distance between the adjacent ends of the lever-arms may be increased or diminished, so as to enable the said arms to receive nuts or burrs of various sizes between them.

Flexibly connected, by leather straps a or the like, to the lever-arms A, adjacent the outer ends thereof, are the spoke-engaging hooks O, which extend laterally from the said arms and are preferably constructed of wood or other suitable material not calculated to scratch or otherwise mar the spoke when the I Serial No. 400,543. (No model.)

wrench is in operation. By this construction it will be readily perceived that when the lever-arms are mounted upon the burr or-nut and the hooks 0 connected to the spokes of the wheel the nut may be readily removed from the spindle by turning the wheel backwardly, after which the wheel and nut may be removed together.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings a modification of the lever-arms and spoke-engaging hooks is disclosed, which construction is designed to render the lever-arms capable of engaging very small nuts. Referring by letter to the said figure, A indicates a portion of one of the lever-arms, which are respectively provided with a longitudinal slot b adjacent their outer ends. arms are designed to receive the reduced and threaded shanks c of the spoke engaging hooks O, which are adjustably connected to the lever-arms by the small nut d. By this construction when it is desirable to remove a very small nut such as employed upon sulkies and other light vehiclesit is simply necessary to loosen the nuts upon the shanks of the spoke-engaging hooks, after which the wrench is connected to the nut and wheel, as before described. The spoke-engaging hooks are then adjusted toward the inner ends of These slots bet the leverthe lever-arms and are fixed in such position 1 by the nuts 01. Thus it will be readily perceived that the outer ends of the lever-arms will be held in, adjacent to the wheel, and their inner engaging endswill be brought close together, enabling them to firmly engage a small-sized nut.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have disclosed another modification of the lever-arms and spoke-engaging hooks which is designed for the same purpose as the construction illustrated in Fig. 3viz., to enable the lever-arms to engage and remove small-sized burrs and nuts. In the said figure, A indicates the outer portion of one of the lever-arms, which are provided with transverse apertures designed to receive the shanks of the spoke-engaging hooks 0 which in this construction are prefas illustrated, to receive a nut d, and interposed between said nut and the lever-arm is a coiled spring D, which surrounds the hookshank and is preferably of a resiliency adapted to aiford a slight give to the hook, which is highly desirable in some cases.

In applying a wrench embodying this latter construction the wrench is mounted as before described, when, if it is desirable to engage a small nut, the nut cl is turned so as to draw the outer ends of the lever-arms toward the wheel, which diminishes the distance between the inner engaging ends of said arms. and enables said ends to firmly grasp the nut.

In Big. 5 of the drawings I have disclosed a modification of the lever-arms and the manner of connecting the same. Referring by lettervto said figure, A A indicate the leverarms, the arm A of which is provided at its inner end with a rigid angular jaw, to the sides of which two straps B are pivotally connected, which straps are provided at their oppositc end with eyes to receive a transverse F, whereby the connecting bolt, ,which .takes through the straps and the end of the arm A which rests between said straps. The arm A is provided wlth a movable angular jaw E, to which is connected one end of a threaded rod F, the opposite end of which takes loosely through the lug G, between the branches of which a screw-threaded disk M is mounted on the rod jawE is adjusted to and from the end of the arm.

IIaving described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a wheel 'wrench', the combination, with two lever-arms having their adjacent ends adapted to engage a nut from opposite sides, and straps or plates flexibly connecting the nner ends of the same, of the spoke-engag- 1mg hooks connected to said lever-arms and extending laterally therefrom, substantially as specified.

2. In a Wheel-wrench, the combination, with two lever-arms having their adjacent endsI adapted to engage a nut from opposite sides, 5 of connecting straps or plates pivotally conf nected to said arms adjacent the inner ends thereof, and spoke-engaging hooks connected 5 to the lever-arms and extending laterally therefrom, substantially as and for the purg pose specified.

3. In a wheel-wrench, the combination, with two lever-arms having their adjacent ends adapted to engage a nut from opposite sides, of the straps or plates flexibly connecting the inner ends of said lever-arms and having the auxiliary bolt-holes, and suitable devices for connecting the free or outer ends of the leverarms to the spokes of a vehicle-wheel, substantially as specified.

4. In a wheel-wrench, the combination, with two lever-arms having their adjacent ends adapted to engage a nut from opposite sides, and connecting straps or plates pivotally connected to said arms adjacentthe inner ends thereof, of the spoke-engaging hooks, and

flexible straps connecting said hooks-to the lever-arms, substantially as specified.

5. In a wheel-wrench, the combination, with two levers flexibly connected at their inner ends and having longitudinal slots adjacent their outer ends, of spoke-engaging hooks having threaded shanks adapted to take through the slots of the lever-arms, and nuts hooks, substantially as specified.

6. In a wheel-wrench, the combination, with two levers having their adjacent ends adapted toengage a nut'from opposite sides, flexibly connected at their inner-ends and having transverse apertures adjacent their outer ends, of spoke-engaginghooks having-thread ed shanks adapted to take through the apertures of the lever-arms, the nuts upon the ends of said hooks, and coiled springs interposed between the nuts and lever-arms and surrounding the hook-shanks, substantially as specified.

7. In a wheel-wrench, the combiuatiomwith a lever-arm having a rigid jaw at its inner end and two'straps pivotally connected to the side of said jaw, of a lever-arm having itsiuner end pivotally connected between the said straps, a sliding jaw mounted on the latter arm, a threaded rod connected to the sliding jaw and taking through a lug on the leverarm, and a threaded disk mounted on the threaded rod between the'branches of the said lug, substantially as specified. g In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 1

JAMES B. SMITH. Witnesses:

O. GILLESPIE, O. SCHOENHEIT.

mounted on the threaded shanks of the said 

